Noir

Complex. Sophisticated. Groundbreaking. Shocking. These words describe the German Expressionist cinema during the Weimar era after World War I — a bravura brand of filmmaking that is still mesmerizing audiences and influencing filmmakers today. They were highly stylized pictures with off-kilter set designs, innovative cinematography and chiaroscuro lighting that highlighted the nightmarish, dark and often perverse subject matters. Among the master filmmakers were Robert Wiene (1920's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"), F.W. Murnau (1922's "Nosferatu," 1924's "The Last Laugh"), Paul Leni (1924's "Waxworks") and Fritz Lang...

Related "Noir" Articles

Complex. Sophisticated. Groundbreaking. Shocking.
These words describe the German Expressionist cinema during the Weimar era after World War I — a bravura brand of filmmaking that is still mesmerizing audiences and influencing filmmakers today.
They...

The Gap's limited-edition capsule collection with GQ magazine's 2014 best new menswear designers in America -- including three brands with L.A. ties, is set to hit shelves Tuesday, Sept. 30.
It's the third season that the San Francisco-based retailer has...

"Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of Style" has opened at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas. It includes 67 mannequins outfitted in clothes from 1967 to the present. The exhibit runs through Oct. 5. Why the Bush museum?...

Most of us have a vague awareness that Mother's Day is coming up (Sunday, May 11). But will we shop in a timely fashion—or will we race to the mall on May 10? Just in case you're a planner, what follows is a guide to some of the best department store...

Fresh on the kitten heels of marking the 40th anniversary of her iconic wrap dress, Diane von Furstenberg is getting into the reality TV arena, according to Vanity Fair, which reports the designer has inked a deal with E! for a reality series that has...

GQ magazine recently announced its 2014 best new menswear designers in America, a list on which Los Angeles is more than well represented.
The quartet that makes up the class of 2014 includes two L.A.-based labels -- John Elliot's...

Auction house Profiles in History has announced that the third and final audition of actress Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood collection will take place May 17 and 18.
The veteran actress, whose career included the 1952 film "Singin' in the Rain,"...

The Road to Awe looks to be headed downtown, given the streetwise jeans and second-skin leather pants in the Los Angeles-based women's collection that had its debut in July.
The brand, known as RtA, "has an androgynous vibe," says French-born...

In the same way that fashion designers scour the trunks and attics of the past for inspiration, perfumers periodically dip into the well of classic French perfumery when creating new fragrances.
This seems to be one of those times.
After decades in...

Fancy a pout like Sophia Loren, Marlene Dietrich or Courtney Love?
From ladylike ruby to femme fatale orange-red to renegade bordeaux, the looks of these style icons showed up on the fall fashion runways, albeit in a very modern reprise.
Fall's bold new...

After years spent decorating more than 20 lofts in the downtown Arts District, interior designer Nadia Geller said she grew frustrated with the trendy neighborhood.
"It was missing a homey, eclectic shop," she said. "A store where...

Does your dairy herd get skittish every time you hit the milking parlor drenched in Drakkar Noir? Does a splash of Hugo by Hugo Boss have your flock of sheep heading for the hills? If so, the answer to your fragrance faux pas may well be Portland...

Deck the halls, plum the pudding, make merry under the mistletoe: The holidays are party season and now's your time to shine. And whether you're headed to the festivities directly from the office or just need to get ready fast, the quickest way to add...

About 20 miles beyond the red-tile roofs of downtown Santa Barbara, it begins: the rolling blond hills that go indecently green in spring, the massive estates and miniature horses, the sprawling vineyards and "Sideways" scenery, the dude ranch...

This story has been corrected. See note at bottom for details.
Eat. Pray. Love. Spritz.
Now inhale deeply and feel your life transform.
It's only May, but 2012 is already shaping up as the year perfume wafted from the lively online blogs and into...

Words & Ideas
Compiled by Grace Krilanovich.
SUNDAY
Bill Adler & Cey Adams: The author and designer will present and sign their new book, "Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label." Book Soup,...

Beauty lovers, there's a whole world out there of websites brimming with pretty little pots, palettes, creams and bottles of fragrant concoctions. Sure, the mega-beauty websites – Sephora.com, Beauty.com, Ulta.com — have a wealth of products to choose...

I'm on the city's surface streets, heading from downtown to Hollywood. Only a few cars share the road. I don't bother to pull onto the 101. Because it's not there.
No, this isn't 3 a.m., or the apocalypse. It's L.A. Noire, the latest interactive world...

STONEHILL TAVERN, the new restaurant at the St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach, is a kind of miracle.
It's got just about everything: a great room, crisp service, inspired modern American cooking and an impressive wine program.
But that's not the miracle,...